The Sunday Times recently announced the winner of their EFG Short Story Award, a £30,000 prize: American Courtney Zoffness, who won for her story “Peanuts Aren’t Nuts” and beat out several Irish names, both big and small, for the award.
Among the Irish longlisted was Leitrim psychotherapist P. Kearney Byrne – who counts this as her second nomination for the award despite being … [Read more...] about Book Notes:
Sunday Times Longlists Irish Writers
Issues
Book Notes:
A Touch of the Irish
The seeds of Robert F. Kennedy’s compassion lay in his understanding of the past struggles of his Irish ancestors. On March 17, 1964, Robert F. Kennedy traveled to Scranton, Pennsylvania, to address the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. His address that evening was rich in purpose but also in sentiment. It was his first speech since Dallas. He had chosen this Irish American … [Read more...] about A Touch of the Irish
George Mitchell: A Keystone of the Good Friday Agreement
COMETH the hour, cometh the man. Philosophers have argued for a long time over the importance of the individual in history. Some say the forces of change, though seemingly blind, always produce that crucial man or woman who will be their instrument and cutting edge. Others argue that unless a person with the right qualifies, attributes and vision takes the driving seat, the … [Read more...] about George Mitchell: A Keystone of the Good Friday Agreement
The Choctaw Tribe and the Irish Famine
The Choctaw "Trail of Tears," tribe raised money for Irish Hunger relief. Visiting New York in 1989, Don Mullan, the then-director of Action From Ireland (AFrI), a Dublin-based human rights organization, was addressing members of the American Irish Political Education Committee about AFrI's "Great Famine Project." The Project had begun in 1988 as AFrI leadership reflected on … [Read more...] about The Choctaw Tribe and the Irish Famine
Mother, Life, Landscape, and the Connection
IA Newsletter, August 3, 2024
Edna O'Brien returns to the world of The Country Girls in her book The Light of Evening, with the mother-daughter relationship as the main theme. “A writer’s life is like an athlete’s life. You train every day of your life and even then it may not be as good as one had hoped,” says Edna O’Brien, who has written over 20 books. Her latest, The Light of Evening, tells the … [Read more...] about Mother, Life, Landscape, and the Connection





